Apple is expanding its presence in Ireland with a new product testing center, the Irish Examiner reports, alongside the opening of a new office in North Carolina.

Apple will open a new product testing center in Cork, Ireland, in what will be the first such facility to test Apple devices in Europe. At the site, Apple engineers and technicians will use a range of equipment, including electron microscopes and CT scanners, to test products in an effort to improve durability and performance.

The test center is located near Apple’s campus in Hollyhill and was previously used to store hard drives, manuals and documentation. Addressing the Irish ExaminerApple’s vice president of European operations, Cathy Kearney, said the new test facility was “a natural evolution of all the investments of recent years” in Cork:

The goal of this facility is to ensure the best product, durability, and performance, and the lab team here will test and analyze the full line of Apple products. This facility is the first of its kind in Europe and we are delighted to have it here in Cork.

The new test facility in Cork follows the establishment of an Apple team in Ireland dedicated to research into artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Meanwhile, WRAL reports that Apple plans to spend $19.3 million to renovate the seven-story MetLife Building 3 in Cary, North Carolina. The location is a temporary space ahead of the opening of a new $1 billion Apple campus in the state. Apple is recruiting a range of technical staff, developers and engineers for the new office, according to Cary Chamber of Commerce President Mark Lawson.

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